Sony Xperia Tablet S

Available
now30th August 2012

The Sony Xperia Tablet S is the replacement
for the original Sony
Tablet S that started shipping last year. This tablet
bears the "Xperia" name because it is the first tablet
from Sony that came after their buyout of Sony Ericsson.

This new tablet follows on from its predecessor
quite closely, sharing a similar wedge design and a 9.4" display.
As you would expect, there are improvements all around that bring
the Xperia Tablet S bang up-to-date.

Inside is a quad-core 1.3 GHz processor with 1GB
of RAM, on the back is an 8 megapixel camera with a secondary 1
megapixel unit on the front for video calling. Internal flash memory
is either 16,32 or 64GB with an SD memory card slot for further
expansion. The display is a 9.4" 1280 x 800 pixel "TruBlack"
touchscreen and the Xperia Tablet S is also splash resistant. The
tablet also has an infra-red port allowing it to control home entertainment
systems, and it is available in WiFi-only or 3G-plus-WiFi configurations.

The supplied operating system is Android 4.0.3,
but no upgrade path has been mentioned for Android 4.1 although
we presume that it will be possible to update it at some point.
The Xperia Tablet S has been enhanced by various software add-ons
familiar to Xperia users, and of course you can download thousands
of applications onto the device too.

At 560 grams it is a fair bit lighter than the current
Apple iPad,
but the display is a little smaller and despite being a full HD
screen it doesn't come close to the ultra-sharp Apple retina display.
Apart from the screen, most components in the Xperia Tablet S are
better or equal to those found in its iPad rival.

There
are also a wide range of accessories available including various
docking stands and cradles, covers and external keyboards.. so you
don't just have to use the Xperia Tablet S as a traditional tablet.

The Sony Xperia Tablet S is available to pre-order
now with deliveries in the US scheduled from early September onwards,
and we guess other regions shortly after that. The basic 16GB WiFi-only
Tablet costs $400 in the US, €400 in Germany and £329 in the
UK. Not all prices have been announced, but the 64GB WiFi-only device
will cost $600 in the US and the 16GB 3G-enabled one will cost £429
in the UK.

At the moment Apple have a near-monopoly on tablet
sales, and rivals have struggled to get any market traction. Sony's
second generation tablet seems to be well designed though, and the
Sony name has a certain appeal to many consumers which may well
help the Xperia Tablet S to sell.